Josef Cloran
Prime Minister Josef Cloran is the incumbent Prime Minister in Apporross and leader of the New Market Party (NMP). He has been Prime Minister since 2018 (Mt). Josef Cloran has won one election by a large margin (52.5%), and is one of the youngest serving Prime Ministers in Apporrossian history, 38 years old as of 116th, 2019, Mt. Politicial Career Educational Overseer Shortly after the election of Apporrossian PM Minnie Yates, Cloran was nominated as Educational Overseer, a job which he accepted and immediately began making reforms to adopt a more Gonian-esque system in which children are taught practical, vocational skills from a young age and have to apply their learning in real life. He gave praise to the Fickolean system also, and called Hamington's education system 'deeply flawed' and 'discriminatory to the great many children who wish to express their more creative, and less empirical brains'. In 400th, 2017, Cloran left Yates' government in protest of her austerity measures in making government smaller, and raising interest rates to encourage spending, which Cloran argued was 'opposed to the values of the party'. Election (2018) In late 2017, Josef Cloran began taking a stronger position in his party, suggesting further ammedments to the constitution, lower tax rates for small businesses, less regulation for small businesses, and more government issued loans. The incumbent PM at the time, Minne Yates, had promised these policies but, according to parliament, failed to deliver. In 2018, the Apporrossian parliament under the tenure of PM Minnie Yates voted to hold another election. Cloran voted for this also, though the vote was spearheaded by opposition parties such as Freem CP (Free Market Conservation Party). Yates stepped down, leading to a leadership election to be shortly followed by an election, postponed until the 245th, 2018. Cloran won his parties support by a 65% majority, and went on to run against Zed Meyers and Harley Twendy in the election. During his election, Cloran's key slogans were: Make others look up to us, let's bring Apporross back to the Universal Stage, and 'True to our promises'. His key policies were to increase the number of tax brackets, decrease funding to the monarchy (though this was less stressed in his election campaign), increase the number of government loans issued to small and large businesses as well as other planets such as Ficko, and to increase trade with other planets. Cloran won the election by 52.5%, the largest victory since 2011 (Mt), with Freem CP winning 31.5% and the Republicans winning 13%. Prime Minister of Apporross (2018-) As Prime Minister of Apporross Cloran delivered on some of his policies very early on, issuing three times as many government loans as his predecessor. Government Loans Whilst Cloran's policies of issuing many government loans were well received originally, some became more controversial than others. Over 35,000 loans were issued in his first 100 days as PM to small businesses and start-ups of roughly (S)40,000 (sq53,300) each. As well as this, they issued (S)330billion (sq440billion) worth of loans to the Fickolean government in the first 200 days. These decisions were, according to polls, considered to be popular and 'helping small businesses', 'helping little people', as well as 'making others reliant on Apporross', and 'strengthening the economy'. Cloran, however, also issued loans such as a number of military contracts, intelligence and computing contracts within government to Sonic worth (S)100billion (sq133billion). He has also issued loans worth (S)900billion (sq1.2trillion) to other planets such as Colran, Juplockitus, Can, Arancie and Vlam. These investments are supported by about 58% of people according to numerous polls, with many considering them to make Apporross stronger and more important universally, and others considering them to further the power of monopolies such as Sonic, and many economists worrying that government loans to less stable planets de-stabilise the Apporrossian economy. Interest Rates Since taking the Prime Ministership, Cloran has overseen an economic turndown which he 'recovered' from after lowering interest rates once again, as previously promised against. This led to accusations of Cloran's hypocrisy, however, equally, praise for his economic policies which managed to recover the Apporrossian economy. Since then the Apporrossian economy has reported slowed growth, which Cloran maintains is merely 'temporary' and requires more time. Controversy Comments about Demark On 312th, 2019 (Mt), Cloran was forced to publicly apologise and admit responsibility for having called Demark a "backwards planet" in private meetings with Imperial Chamber-Keepers as well as planetary leaders. The Apporrossian PM stressed that he did not mean to cause offence to the planet, and had simply made to make a distasteful joke.